DGP's VMAs: Pick Your Video of the Year (2009)

Getting hired at DGP was a blessing. 

It was my third job actually after graduating from the University in 2006.  My first job was promising in terms of salary and climb up the corporate ladder but it was just too far and there weren't any aircon in our building (finishing area of a garments factory exclusively exporting to Japan). And that was in Pasig... would you believe that?  I thought to myself "why do I allow myself to be in such a situation when I can actually look for a better job and better place?" My second job was with Guess? (as in the clothing company).  Yes, I wanted to be in the fashion business actually, haha! I was applying as a Production IE but was assigned instead to their "management audit project" after satisfying the manager with my answer about it during the interview. It was only a 4-month contract.  Realizing I wouldn't be growing in 4 months time, I left the company but allowed them to photocopy ALL of my books and vowed never to buy or fancy any Guess? products again...

At DGP, I didn't mind working as one of the pioneers of a project.  It meant growth and opportunity.  I didn't have to worry about waking up early to avoid the traffic.  We could go in at least before 12noon. If you finish your job within 4 hours, you're good to go.  If you want to do extra work? The pay is all yours (oops, ate Dang am I allowed to say that? haha)... What more could you ask for? Chocolate drink, coffee and juice are free-flowing.. The owners are very friendly too.

While I was working on my papers to get here (Korea), my manager was even kind enough to still let me go in late in the afternoon and stay until about 10pm to finish my work....

So what is DGP? You can check it out HERE. 

DGP employs cream of the crop so I was the rotten tomato... haha!  Kidding aside, it was not easy passing their test. Maybe I just love writing and saw to it that I answered the essay questions properly.  (In Engineering, at least we try to answer essay questions the best we could. They are additional points for someone like me who really isn't good at math..) And at the time, they were looking for future abstractors... Thank you Sir Charlie for the "Abstract" tests... haha...

One thing I enjoyed the most at DGP was our year end parties.  I couldn't remember what we did on my first year but my second year was memorable.  The theme was "Gothic" and everyone was so creative except for us... me and my dear friend Jordz... Our group did a drama performance.   It was a Romeo-and-Juliet skit and Juliet (who happened to be me) was put to sleep ala-Snow White..

(In the above picture, make a guess: Was I wearing a wig or not?

Last 2009's year end party theme was "VMAs"-- and I'm just so proud to see my ex-project mates in the videos they painstakingly made.

(Picture below was taken last 2007, I started gaining weight like crazy...Aah.. I miss my project mates.  Everyone was so objective and open to corrections. BTW, Dan, in red T-shirt was a week's champion of the TV game show "Pilipinas, Game Ka Na Ba? and later on became one of the show's researchers.)

So here are the videos they made.  Please understand that the people you'll see in the videos are shy, serious (hehe) and hardworking... They are not dancers, not singers not actors... It must have been really hard for most of them to dance or even sing and act but for the sake of their group, they did their best and came up with really nice videos.

Here's the video that caused  Mimi to either celebrate or wallow as you can see here.  Whose fault was it? Vic the Mimi or Alvin the director? hahaha...

                                        

Did places in the Video remind you of home?   The group made trips to Subic Bay, Pasig River, Quiapo and Intramuros to make their video even more special...

And why aren't we hearing and seeing much of the Super Junior? Is the group really breaking up? Ah.. Is this video making them inactive for a while? But before you watch the video below, I suggest you watch this music video of SuperJunior first... Kidding aside (yes I was), currently, the group is having some problems with one or two  of their members, another 1 or 2 are busy with their acting careers and the others are active in China (as I read last week)..

So without further delay, here's the cutesy video my former officemates made... Directed by Raphael, the guy who looks a bit like Edward... (yay! i was slightly bitten by the saga...)

                                          

I hope you enjoyed the videos guys...

This  post is for the friends who made my stay at DGP really memorable.. Thank you everyone...


                                       
Vic (Mimi of the first Video), Rapuy (2nd video's director) and moi, goofing around (Charlotte's house, December 2006)...

                                       
At Tam-Awan Village, Baguio City, December 2006
                                     
Kuya Edgar, sorry di ako nagpaalam i-post yung picture natin dito, kkk...
With my friends atop the stairs of the Lourdes Grotto, Baguio City, Dec. 2006..
                                    
2007 Anniversary and Blessing of our new location...

Chasing Winter: Incheon Grand Park

Folks dressed up like Eskimos told us something was going on we haven't heard of inside the Incheon Grand Park...

Wanting to get some cold fresh air after breathing in all those warm air inside the jjimjilbang, Alex and I headed to the Grand Park.  We thought it might be closed during winter. But the school/tourist buses arriving and the number of cars parked at its grand (too) parking area encouraged us to go on anyway...

The Main Entrance...

                          

It would have been a great day if not for the cloudy and gloomy skies... (I expected for some snowfall but it was just a gloomy day afterall...)

As we have guessed, the park or its galleries are closed but they have one good attraction this winter: SLEDDING SLOPES...

                                  

[Pictured above are the advanced (higher one) and intermediate slopes.]

The intermediate slope: children squeal and hold onto their sleds in fear and delight...

                              

The beginner's slope. 

                              

Just as I thougth, they use an artificial snow canon or maker for these slopes...

                               

Before leaving the area, we checked the ticket rates.  For KRW3,500 to 7,000 and stay and enjoy till you can till the park closes? That's a good deal already...

I heard of a Spring or Cherry Blossoms Festival at the Incheon Grand Park last year.  Some of the students asked me to meet them here so I could see their idol Tablo of Epik High during the concert.  It would be beautiful to see these trees all abloom again...

                                

Trellis surely and impatiently awaiting spring....(now how did I know that? haha)

                               

I wonder if is this the tree Christmas-unenthusiastic Korea is claiming to have contributed to the Western tradition of celebrations when Jesus was born....  (Sorry I wasn't looking and to my dismay, it's the best angle Alex got of the tree...) You can read their (rather r--------- cough!!! cough!!!) claim HERE... (I wonder, where did all the comments go..? And no my legs aren't that short, hahahaha.... )

                               

Fronting this site is the grand stage where we heated water for my coffee and Alex' noodle cup but I forgot the chopsticks in the car so we ended up throwing away the water and since I thought it was too cold for me already, we started going back...

                              

I saw a lot of birds that day but didn't mind taking their pictures...

                                

Frozen Police... (I heard in last year's Cherry Blossom's Fest that a drunk ajumma fell into this water attraction and drowned... sad and it felt creepy as I remembered the news...)

                              

While inside the park, I kept on hearing shooting drills (is that how they call it? too lazy to research) from the military camp nearby. Black hawks passed by one after another... There was no reason to be nervous, Alex said when I asked if we got threats from the "Buk" again(?)...

I think the funniest encounter I could remember with the young Korean soldiers was when we went to a picnic ground near a base somewhere here in Incheon.  It was a sunday and some of the young men were in their recreation area which houses a Karaoke.  We laughed as we heard them sing Girl's Generation's Gee and Nobody by you know who already and how they tried to sing I Don't Care and Fire by 2NE1... haha...

They really looked cute walking with the spades and brush clearing the buildup from the recent record snowfall at the park's parking area...

                              

It was too sad to cut short our supposed 3-day winter trip/vacation that day...  It still felt painful on my left lower abdomen.  He didn't want us to go that far from the doctor who first saw me..

Compared to last year's, I had a better winter (wonderland) experience this year.  Far or near, grand or not, we still enjoyed the time together... There are times when Alex forgets what he tells me but I'm also surprised at how he remembers what he told me or what we talked about during special times or places like this...

It was quite annoying though how he would nag whenever I forgot about my medicines.. But then again, I didn't forget to smile at him and thank him for caring too much... and how he still wanted that time to be really more special...

Why John Park Got 4 Yesses At The AI 9 Chicago Auditions...

I love love love his voice...


Shania, could you be a permanent judge instead?

Blogging From a P.C. Bang (P.C. Room)

Thank you very much to Internet Security 2010 virus, I somehow alloted time reading about computers, spywares, antispywares, etc...etc... 

And two days later, after removing the virus by downloading an antispyware, I couldn't open our p.c. anymore...

One more barrel please...

It's easy to call for a technician here.  They'd come running minutes after you call for them.  However, I told husband I wanted someone who could understand my "plea."  Our pictures from our travels, my vacation last September 2009, the files about teaching I have downloaded, Alex' files--the mp3's he downloaded during his online grammar classes, and the songs I saved don't have back up copies... It's so sad to think that at a blink of an eye, I could lose them forever...

Technicians work as fast as they could, entertain calls as they work... and before you know it, they're done and gone...  It's not that I don't believe or trust their skills. But I also want to learn how to do it on my own.  I want someone who would take the time to explain things to me in the language I know.  Customer service in Korea is superb but I want to learn very well...

So our good friends here offered they'd help us and teach us how to fix the computer I crashed... Huhu...

So please bear with me and for the lack of updates...

This is really crazy, isn't it...? Here I am, no work and with nothing much to do at home really coz our unit isn't that "big" and difficult to clean, couldn't post any interesting article at the moment... So I just savor the time I have for myself reflecting... (naks) and planning well (??) for the future...

So I hope too this is not a bad omen for the rest of the year, hahaha... First, no job. Second, I got sick. Third, a bit of misunderstanding with hubby. Fourth, computer completely crashed. I'm not wondering what will happen next... I couln't even bear to think something not good will happen in the next few hours or days...

Btw, I dreamed about my Father last week.  He was holding long bamboo trees. He also looked really young. I already thought maybe number 11 would come out of the lotto draw for that week.  And it did.. I just didn't have a lucky combination...

I called my Mother and told her about my strange dream. She said this year of the Tiger, bamboo trees are actually signs of good luck... So she hung the curtains I made before with bamboo trees design... She said I shouldn't worry.  Even in the afterlife, our Father is surely watching over us...

For a change, I've been contemplating on buying green curtains.  We only have pinks and whites at home so greens and blues would somehow enliven our room more...

And I think I'm going to have a heart attack now. For the last 30 minutes, this new guy beside me has been playing the Boobeep Boobeep something song that's catchy but oh my gosh, listening to it for 30 minutes????  It's like all the lyrics are being sung in the 5th note and higher.. ahh... I've been hoping someone would come up and tell him to turn off his phone but hey, maybe they are enjoying it too? grr...

So good bye for now guys... See you tomorrow.. I hope I could somehow blog about something worth your time reading...

Bear hugs to you all...

Hiding From Winter: Jjimjilbang

On my last day of work, Alex happily told me he asked for at least 2-3 days off from work this January so we could have a winter getaway...                                    

When asked where I wanted to go, I only said "Nami Island."  What's special about this island? Nothing for some maybe but for someone like me who saw the Korean drama "Winter Sonata," it's more than just another tourist spot... He readily agreed, to my utter surprise...

                                          (Winter Sonata Montage...)

But due to a weather forecast that it will get colder early this week, accompanied by yet another snowfall, Alex convinced me we go to another island, Ganghwa, which is only located here in Incheon.  I may complain a lot but husband is also thankful and lucky that I'm that easy to please...

However, he also thought of bringing me to an "온천" (on-cheon) or "thermal bath or natural hot spring" about more than 3 hours away by subway... It sounded heavenly. But since it would most likely be an outdoor one, I opted for the Ganghwa island tour.

Three days prior the trip, I made a loooong list of TTB and was just as glad to have crossed each item out the night before the supposed and much anticipated winter vacation together...

I can't remember what came up that Sunday morning so we agreed to leave after a quick brunch.  However, Alex lied down on the warm bed as I washed the dishes.  I followed him later and got up abruptly about 15 minutes later... A sudden pain on the lower left side of my abdomen started to bother me.  It can't be appendicitis I thought as appendix is located on the right side, right?

Almost 3 hours had passed but the pain didn't go away. Luckily, the children's clinic/hospital nearby was open. The attending physician was probably an intern/resident (is that how you call it?) as he looked too young (really young and he looked funny by brushing his hair to the back so he'd look older I guess) and even smiled shily while I described my situation through clenched teeth in a very slow manner...

After a few administrations, I was told it was the big S===Stress. Inflamed intestines. Nothing serious.  HAAAH??!! And I thought I was going to die already. It felt like my intestines were being tied in knots.. Nothing Serious???  "..but will he somehow give me something to relieve the pain?" I asked husband as we went out of the doctor's office and the doctor said yes... You see, you can speak to doctors here in English.  But they are too shy I guess to respond in English too so Alex ends up translating everything they say although they keep on nodding in agreement whenever I tell them what I feel.  I was even surprised to see them type in their database the symptoms in English.. hmmm....

So what happened that day?  No more trip.  After the visit to the doctor, Alex was more attentive.  We decided to just spend the night at a "찜질방" or jjim-jil-bang when the pain died down a little... So we ended up unpacking most of the things and just brought some clothes for an overnight stay. 

This is my second time to a jjimjilbang and we went to a different one, a bigger one that uses "sea water" for their array of hot tubs.  There were 6 hot tubs with temperatures ranging from 26 to 44 degrees C.  There were also 3 saunas heated to different temperatures, 43-63-80 degrees C.  Maybe the place was too big that I didn't feel shy at all or felt so conscious with my "body" since women weighing here over 50Kg are considered overweight. So how can I be not so conscious with my thick thighs and err... overblessed butt?

So why should I be so self conscious in the first place? Jjimjilbang is a large gender-segregated public bathhouse in Korea. I just don't know what's going on in the "males" bathhouse but we go stark naked at the "females"... Those who offer body scrubbing or massage services are the only ones I see clothed or at least in their underwears.

In Korean dramas, you might have seen characters,  in gender color coded shorts and tops (like blue for boys and pink for girls), just relaxing on a not so populated big hall, sipping either cold or hot drinks, cracking eggs against one another's foreheads... yes, they are in a jjimjilbang...

                                       [Shin-dong (?) a Super Junior member with a comedienne (?)]

This is a unisex area or floor with other facilities like DVD bang (DVD room), PC bang, Norae bang (singing room), children's amusement area, coffee shop/snack bar, food court, robotic massage chairs/couch, widescreen TVs, sleeping areas, mats and pillows.  This area's floor is ondol-heated, a traditional Korean underfloor heating system for indoor climate control (such that you'll often see in Korean dramas that they like lying down on the floor, especially the elder ones). It also has several therapeutic hot rooms with special minerals and temperatures ranging from below 10 decrees to as high as 80 degrees C.

                   

[coldest (9-12degrees) and hottest(80degrees) therapeutic rooms...]

So after showering, simmering myself in hot tubs of different temperatures, sweating out in the 63degree hot room, scrubbing myself raw, avoiding the stares of other women, and jumping into my pink uniform, I finally went out of the females' hall to meet Alex at the unisex hall...

One can just laze around the hall... (me, holding my niece Dana's baby blanket which she personally gave me as a gift when she was barely 2 years old...)

                                         

                            

and look around for the best place to just lie down or sleep...

Alex wanted us to stay inside the 36 degrees C therapeutic hot room for the night. He wanted me to sweat a lot but it just felt so uncomfortable so I opted to stay at the main hall (as pictured above).  Around 2 am though, the emergency bell was rung twice.  I immediately ran to the 2nd floor where Alex' room was located. I woke him up and pulled him to the hall. It turned out that one of the boys pressed the bell. Most of the patrons, especially with their children, left inspite of the false alarm announcement.

After 11 hours, we decided we had enough and agreed to go out for fresh cold air.  Btw, entrance fee was $6.5 each and for that, we got towels we could use at the segregated halls/sauna, shorts and top we could wear at the unisex hall, and the luxury to stay for as long as we like (at least 24 hours). This is also a cheap overnight option for travellers...

Some more jjimjilbang pictures? Uh, sorry guys, didn't take much as I was afraid some might see us and reprimand us.. But here's a special treat...

............

                               

Scene from Boys Before Flowers showing Gu Jun Pyo with his gf's family, bonding at a jjimjilbang.... (ooops, I stole this photo from http://www.popseoul.com/)

Satisfied? kkkkkk.....

Kim Bum Fans: Hate Her or Love Her?

Oh, Kim Bum (as Ha Min Jae, a 24 year old University student) fans will either hate or love Park Jin Hee (as Lee Sin Young, a 34-year old woman who had her fair share of tragic love affairs) as the older woman whom he falls in love with in the MBC drama "The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry" to premier this 20th (?) of January...

I can't remember where I first saw Park Jin Hee (32 y.o.) (War of Money or Please Come Back, Soon Ae)  but I definitely loved her in the movie "Shadows in the Palace."

Kim Bum has been very busy after his BBF days and among his projects, I think I will try my best to watch this one....

I just saw the drama's teaser earlier this evening and thought it's really promising....

Age doesn't matter... They look good and adorable together...  Beauty and acting-wise, I definitely love her...

My 12 Days of Christmas...

Hi everyone! I hope you had another memorable holidays to keep on talking about and remembering or smiling at even when you're just alone, in a public place or with someone you've shared those memories with...

Eden's latest post was entitled "How Did You Spend Your Christmas?"  In reply, and for me to have something to read and remember in years to come, I'll be writing about my Christmas this year too...

Unlike last year, I did some decorating here at home and at the academy.  Since I couldn't find really good "Merry Christmas" banner greetings, I introduced to my students and co-teachers the art called "letter cutting".... yes, I asked their help to make the Christmas greeting for our academy's lobby.  I didn't realize at first that I actually used a font rather challenging to trace and cut... I was excited too to finally do this again after more than a decade, hahahaha....

                                (How I decorated a corner of our room....and didn't find the time to embroider the socks with our names...)

                                (See that "Merry Christmas" at the back? With my good friend Jessica.)

And finally, I was able to attend the Holy Mass, but in full Korean, at the nearby Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel, on Christmas eve...

Outside of the chapel, I waited for the presentation to finish before going in...

                             (The Korean women, in their glorious Hanboks, holding candles/lanterns... I was the only female goer I think that didn't wear a veil... and remembered being laughed at by my big sis last year when I told her I went out of the Chapel just before the Mass started because I didn't have a veil, hahahaha....)

Opposite the stairs is this statue of Our Lady of Banneux... Unlike last year, they didn't put up a "Belen" or "The Holy Family" here... It was a sight against the snow... Reminded me much of the Spaniard Priest, Fr. Uruchia, who kept on singing... "...Hesus sa pasungan ay gintugnaw..."

Yes, I waited for eternity outside so I also took a picture of the wonderfully made Christmas Tree outside of the Chapel...

When I finally entered the Chapel, the familiar scent of the incense greeted me and immediately took this picture when one of the altar boys stood beside me and started taking pictures of the altar...

On the 25th, Alex' niece, Hye Jin, insisted to tag along when I told my mom-in-law I would be going to the Sipjeong Church... She actually enjoyed taking pictures with the Christmas decors at the church... It was particularly cold and windy last 25th...

 I wanted to actually see the "Belen" or the "Holy Family" they placed at the Altar... This "Koreanized" Holy Family was a surprise.. Last year, they only displayed the baby Jesus, minus mother Mary and St. Joseph...

                           

On the 26th, we treated Alex' brother and his family to the nearby eat all you can self grill resto for lunch... I wanted to go out for a walk but it was drizzly, windy and cold... During lunch time, Alex received calles non-stop and chatted with his brother and sister in law non-stop. I was frowning the whole time and so he told me he thought I wasn't satisfied with the meal when we finally went out of the restaurant. I told him I was worried the whole time that he wasn't eating at all... He said I was just using him as an excuse and promised we return the following day.. I almost kicked him, haha... But as he promised, we returned indeed...

                           

So after eating for almost 2 hours, we decided to walk around the village... It was snowy that day...

                           

(Basketball or badminton, anyone? Children enjoyed the snow with their improvised sleds at the slopes nearby...)

On the 28th, we were all back to work... Everyone was still in the festive mood so I made the students just talk about how they celebrated their Christmas or about the gifts they received...

It was a busy week for me. I had reports to finish, books to check and stuffs to clear all by the end of the 30th, I hoped.  I actually finished early on the 31st, but I also just wanted to linger in the campus with the middle school students...

                           

At first, this student, Jack, actually never liked me.  But on his 3rd month, he suddenly became so sweet and even got my cp number.. He'd always text me "Go GnB, ㅋㅋㅋ."  This picture was taken on the 31st.  All of his classmates had long gone home.  He stayed behind I think for his speaking practice.  On his way out, he dropped by the interview room and bade me goodbye.  I looked at him for a long time before saying my goodbye too... After a few seconds, he came back again to say goodbye... I shook his hand and said "Goodbye Jack... See you next year.."  I just returned my attention to the computer after seeing him go away... But for the 3rd time, I again heard him say "Goodbye Teacher.  See you next year too..."  I stood up and hugged him and asked my friend to take our picture...

                           

I'll terribly miss these bright students...

So when all the students have gone home on New Year's eve, I also started to say my goodbyes to the teachers and Wonjangnim Sunny... They gave me a sending off I wouldn't forget.  They even prepared a gift set for me.. We couldn't stop our goodbyes so Alex, who came to pick me up, laughingly said "Okay.. That's enough now..."

To celebrate the end of my contract, we ate at a traditional Korean restaurant we often pass by whenever he brings or picks me up from the academy..

                           

Alex doesn't attend his Presbyterian church anymore but when I said I wanted to drop by the chapel, he willingly drove us there and even tagged along when I went inside.  He rarely goes with me but he would always ask me to lead the prayer...

January 1st... Before the clock struck 12a.m., I opened our house windows and door (good thing MIL went to church) and made some noise with my coins in a jar. We stayed up til 3a.m., snacking on the remaining Christmas cake and ice cream and the fruits I bought for New Year's eve so I wasn't able to go out for the Sunrise again, as I originally planned. I just watched it from our bedroom window... My brother in law and his family came for lunch. After that, Alex and I left for a date...

Anne and I agreed to meet on the 2nd.  She handed me the dried mangoes and popcorn powder my mom sent me from P.I. haha... It felt good to relax and chat over a hot choco drink again...

Last Sunday was uneventful.  Alex went to work and mom in law was out the whole day too.  But last Monday, January 4th, we had the record snowfall in years... The previous week, we already prepared a TTBD list like: going to the banks, inquiring at the Bupyeong women's center about their cooking and language lessons program, seeing an OB/GYN and going to a skin clinic. Yes, the 27 cm thick snow didn't prevent us from accomplishing them...

                            

(Mom in law's flower pots...)

                           

(Streets were clear but the subway was teeming with passengers...)

Last Monday, I spent half of the day watching tutorials on youtube.  This time, not about make up but about how to cook Korean food MIL doesn't normally prepare.  Yesterday, I lunched at Anne's place and did some more catching up, haha...

 Eventful or not, I surely had a warm and enjoyable Christmas this year... I witnessed how the students' eyes glowed and got excited at the mere mention of Christmas. I didn't mind repeatedly singing their favorite Yuletide carols with them until my voice got hoarse or they could finally sing them right... We had a Secret Santa/Exchange gift at the academy. Aside from the gift I received from my SS, my British companion also gave me a pocket book... Isn't he sweet? Mother in law even set up the Christmas tree in her room as early as the first of December... Husband repeatedly said "sorry" for the not so "panchak-panchak" Christmas here...  Before, I whined how Christmas in Korea is so different from the Christmas celebration I know.  But it's their way and they're happy.  So why can't I be happy too and share this happiness to the people around me and somehow make the season happier and brighter with our simple decorating ideas, gift giving and sharing of well wishes?

So there's my Christmas... and cheers, to life and love this 2010, to us all...